Deeper than Atlantis: Diggin’ in Da Crates–Interview with Cincy Soul group, RAMP

 

 

Deeper than Atlantis: Diggin’ in Da Crates–Interview with Cincy Soul group, RAMP.

Rod Stole From Bob

A friend of mine said hey check this song out. It’s a great song. I’m like yo this shit is dope, then I’m like what…what….Oh hell naw for real.

Did anybody notice this? WTF. Was this controversial or did this just fly under radar. He straight jacked my mans and ran along like the shit was his. He took a passionate song and he turned it into holla at ya boy song. I know hip hop does this shit to but dude it’s Rod Fucking Stewart. Did Bobby get paid for this? Probably not. He didn’t even flip it. He Puff Diddy’d the shit. Smh. You Rod should be ashamed. And I actually like Rod Stewart……..

And he wasn’t even done. He had the nerve to jack Jorge Ben to. Rod’s a prick. Probably didn’t pay him either. While he pranced around the world getting laid off his weak ass song. I thought you were an upstanding Brit Rod. Then years later you do a cover album butchering Motown songs cuzz they inspired you. Really? Look Rod paying tribute is to not fuck up other peoples songs, it’s properly giving them credit and money when you decide to steal they shit. Fuck you Rod. Have a nice day:)

“King Holiday,” Listening 25 Years Later

King Dream Chorus & Holiday Crew

“King Holiday”

(Polygram Records) 1986

“Who do we thank for teaching us that we all have the strength to love?” asked Ricky Bell of New Edition on “King Holiday.” Rhetorically, Bell asked on behalf of his generation learning vicariously about the Civil Rights Era through elders and outdated textbooks. Barely older than him, Teena Marie responded earnestly, her vibrato timbre demonstrating why she had props among (mostly Black) fans: “We thank the prince of non-violence for showing us the way.”

Shortly after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, American music ceased being colorblind. As Hole In Our Soul author, Martha Bayles writes, “The first reaction of soul performers to the increased militancy following King’s assassination was to alter the content of message songs.”  Gone were blameless, brotherhood credos; ‘70s soul artists questioned the deeds of mankind and championed Black power.  Bayles suggests these messages alienated soul artists from ubiquitous mainstream airplay, but that, coupled with segregated radio and Billboard charts, crippled exposure.

Eighties’ Black media noticed rapper, Kurtis Blow’s growing crossover potential, calling Blow the “King of Rap.” When Dexter King asked Blow to co-write and produce “King Holiday” in celebration of his father’s birthday, it was momentous for hip-hop. Similar to the trend of charity songs like USA for Africa’s, “We Are the World” and “Sun City” by Little Steven, it promoted Dr. King’s birthday becoming a U.S. holiday for the first time on January 20, 1986. The downside: The group’s ungainly name. Who could remember that The Fat Boys, Run D.M.C., Grandmaster Melle Mel, and Whodini were “The Holiday Crew;” or that Teena Marie, New Edition, Stephanie Mills, Stacy Lattisaw, J.T. Taylor of Kool & The Gang, Lisa Lisa with Full Force, El Debarge, and Whitney Houston were “The Holiday Chorus?”

Despite, it doesn’t explain why the song is so scarcely recalled by Black media and is one of the most obscure charity songs—ever. A progenitor to ‘90s posse causes like West Coast All Star’s “All in the Same Gang,” “King Holiday” is a classic, time capsule performance of what hip-hop sounded like—feel good tent revivals for the streets. Not only were MCs exciters, they performed together like a basketball team handing off, like when Melle Mel said, “Now, now, now/Every January on the third Mon-day/We pay homage to the man who paved the way,” and then each Fat Boy expanded the stream-of-conscious rap. Highlighted by Darren “Buff” Robinson’s trademark clapping cowbell and 808 beat box, the rapper’s voices took on inflections of preachers. Houston’s voice, youthful and enrapturing, climaxed “King Holiday” into a jubilant chorus joined by Keith Pringle and the Pentecostal Community Choir. Her part was the longest, probably because she was the song’s only crossover artist.

By March of 1986, the song peaked at #30 on the Black Singles chart. Proceeds were supposed to go to the Center for Non-Violent Social Change, Inc. but the website fails to list the song in its “Making of a Holiday” timeline. While message songs aren’t as prevalent today, this one shows hip-hop giving a damn.

By Mildred C. Fallen

Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGKW3O6EpMo

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• History of King holiday all but forgotten 25 years later (thegrio.com)

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Rap Lyrics: (E. Meriwether- A. Christian)

Is this wack or not?

Betty Davis (originally appeared in Ghettoblaster Magazine)

Cover of Nasty Gal

Betty Davis

Nasty Gal/Is It Love or Desire

Light in the Attic Records

By: Mildred C. Fallen

Betty Davis was arguably one of the funkiest artists of the 1970s and one of Hip Hop and Punk-Funk’s first influences, but her reputation for having vulgar lyrics and a nasty girl image preceded her talent in the eyes of critics. Maybe this generation, who’s used to hearing women sing and rap dirty ditties will be less remiss to call Davis’ soft core pillow talk X-rated and find her CD reissues ahead of their time.  But what critics often overlook—the lyrics aren’t just graphic—they’re autobiographic. She addresses her critics on “Dedicated to the Press,” and Davis’ influence on Prince is obvious, down to her spine-tapping shrieks and lyrics about whether her freakiness traces back to her Mama.  Her raps to ex-husband, Miles Davis on “Stars Starve You Know” size up the black and female rocker’s lament of being the wrong color and gender looking for gigs. She flaunts her anti-disco sentiments on “Bottom of the Barrel,” and in a melodic rap style like West Coast femcee, Medusa, she unremorsefully gets inebriated seven days straight on “Bar Hoppin’”. Vocally, she’s no Aretha; she’s a growling, self-gratuitous dominatrix one minute (“Nasty Gal”) or purring like a starved kitty the next (“It’s So Good”) and she’s often scratchy sounding like liquor and late nights take their toll. A nameless band of musicians from Louisiana pick and play some of the swampiest, gut-bucket funk that ever came out of the Bayou. What’s not to like?

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Check out some Betty, and you’ll see why this got a “LOUD” rating in Ghettoblaster Magazine last year.09-betty-davis-bar-hoppin

Discography:Betty+Davis

Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him, from They Say I’m Different, used by IceCube on “Once Upon A Time in the Projects”:

Check out Ghettoblaster’s mixtape and subscribe! We indie mags and journalists gotta eat, too!

The Vinyl Room spotlight is on: DJ Pillo

Best noted for his endless house party style mixings of hip-hop, soul, funk, punk, disco, reggae, house, breaks & rock; DJ Pillo has graced international venues and events with the gift of music both past and present. With more than twenty years of DJing experience, DJ Pillo has kept dance floors packed with his raw, consistent & arguably unmatched talent. With the use of two turntables, mixers and an endless supply of vinyl, this highly sought after DJ not only provides events with great music, but he also comes equipped with professionalism beyond your expectations.*

(*excerpt from DJ Pillo’s bio).

Check out Pillo’s podcast on PodOmatic.com

 

Spyder D- “Big Apple Rappin’”

With one of THE baddest basslines in early rap, “Big Apple Rappin’” was one of Spyder D’s first 12″ singles. Featuring a funk band known around Michigan’s college scene called Frosted, the independently released single was one of the many that helped keep rap alive after the commercial buzz surrounding “Rapper’s Delight” died down.  His mother, Doris Hughes (R.I.P.) helped him start Newtroit Records, and released this record…check it out here.

Mildred C. Fallen’s Wax Poetics article on Spyder D’s “Big Apple Rappin’”, copyright owned by Wax Poetics. Printed June 2010, Issue 41.